TAG
by The Cazual Bystander
Summary: The End has come…and gone. With the aftermath of one of the greatest battles in Konoha’s history fresh in his mind, the traitor unknowingly sparks a perilous game of tag that cycles throughout the village.
1. Ambivalent Aftermath

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would be a ficus. Why a ficus? Because I roll that way, man.

** Summary:** The End has come…and gone. With the aftermath of one of the greatest battles in Konoha's history fresh in his mind, the traitor unknowingly sparks a perilous game of tag that cycles throughout the village. Follow each successive character as they share their perspective on the return of Uchiha Sasuke.

Chapter One: Ambivalent Aftermath

A soft breeze roiled along the cold, tiled floor.

Leftover chakra from the conflict of the two mighty powerhouses flitted about, collecting and dissipating in the corners and eaves of the great Uchiha secret meeting place. The chakra itself was short lived, only providing brief light in the sea of black that coated the cavern, before dying out.

Darkness lay like a shroud over the two figures in the center of the battlefield, concealing the fighters from the eyes of any observer, had one been there to watch such a fight.

Now, a soft sound filled the echoing hideout, bouncing off the walls in the faintest of ways.

Closer inspection revealed the first of the two figures, lying on the ground, was the source of the noise. The figure was gasping, each breath it shakily took rattled its entire body, threatening the tenuous grasp of the figure on the thin thread of life.

The second figure, in better shape, moved once, and then slowly unfolded from its curled position on the floor. Blood, hot and red and fast, poured from a gaping wound in its center. The figure's dark, dead eyes moved slowly, focusing and unfocusing, until they reached the second figure on the floor. There they stopped, and narrowed into slits of rage.

"Heh…"

"You've done well…little….brother…."

The hollow words were spat from the first figure, lying prone on the ground. Gashes and wounds ran the length of its body, most notably a burn mark on its chest. The burn was awful, darkening in the center over the figure's heart, ending in an almost-black hole. Blood pooled about the figure, and when he turned his head, dark hair fell around a dying face.

"So well…in fact-"

Here the man broke off into a coughing fit, each hacking bark punctuated by a few droplets of blood flying out. He disregarded this, and went on:

"That I'll give you a reward."

The second figures eyes widened imperceptibly, and then narrowed even further.

"You liar. What could you have that I possibly want?"

Here the first figure grinned maniacally, and leaned his head closer to the first figure.

"What you want? Why…the Truth, of course."

And here he spoke, pale, bloody lips moving, but no, how could that be? Those words he is speaking…make no sense, can't be real, can't be true, can't be can't be can't be…..!

The lips stopped moving, and twisted into an ugly smirk.

"And _**that's**_ the truth, my foolish…little..bro-"

"_**SHUT UP**_!"

And with that exclamation of rage, the raven haired figure plunged his sword into the very center of the burn, into the very core of his brother's being.

His eyes, so red, so bloody, flared up once…then faded into the glassy stare of the dead.

Uchiha Sasuke was the last living Uchiha, doomed to his fate by the sword in his brother's body.

And with that knowledge in mind, he promptly fainted onto the icy, blood covered floor.

**--------- **

_Voices echoed softly through his mind, drifting in and out like skittish birds._

_"Look at this place…what happened here?"_

_A light peered into his mind…_

_"My god, look at those two…"_

_Blood-stained hands stilled as he became numb_

_"Is that who I think it is?"_

_Nothing mattered anymore…it was over, it was done…_

_"Call the ANBU!"_

_He paid no heed to them, losing interest as he fell into unconsciousness' sweet embrace. _

** --------- **

Pale eyelids opened, exposing his dark eyes to the world around him, and he groaned softly as the harsh light seared through his still-sensitive vision.

White…white…curtains? Cloth? Sheets? He suppressed a curse and looked about him.

Yep, no doubt about it. He was at a hospital. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised; after all, the battle that was fought couldn't be classified as anything less than epic. That and they hadn't exactly been discreet. In fact, one could say that the Konoha nin had been rather oblivious, not noticing such a large expenditure of chakra in such a relatively small space.

He shifted in his bed, scrunching the sheets between his hands. He ran a palm over his arm, checking for scars that he _knew _should be there. But no, the morning sun roiled perfectly over unblemished skin. Here he stilled, and instead looked out of the window to his left. The sky, so blue, so close, had but a few clouds in it, each cloud tinted lightly with cyan. A sound echoed off to his right. He tried to make it out, but the words were hazy, his sight fading as he strained to see.

The door opened abruptly. A pretty, statuesque nurse strode in, her body clad in a white lab coat, her hair concealed by a black beret. She was clutching a clipboard tightly to her side, her neck twisted as she turned to finish what she was saying to the person outside the door. She shut said door behind her, then turned to the waiting patient.

Dully, Sasuke noted that her face was curiously blank, devoid of emotion. In fact, her apathy rather surprised him. Not that he'd let it show.

She stepped brusquely to his side, and without another word began to run her hands along various injuries and breaks, checking pulse, reading heart rate, and touching specific chakra points along his arms. Her examination complete, she turned to leave.

Without thinking, Sasuke reached out and touched her coat. Whirling around, she slapped his hand and narrowed her green eyes.

" _Don't touch me_ , Uchiha."

With that, she pivoted on her heel and strode out of the room. He was left with his usual apathetic face on, a single raised eyebrow showing all the emotion he needed.

Looks like little Sakura has changed, huh?

_**Tag**_

Hello, and welcome to the beginning of TAG. My name is Cazz, and i'll be your host this evening!

Constructive critism is greatly appreciated, as this is my first writing on about the story. TAG takes place after chapter 367 in the manga. It will always end with the word "Tag", as a way to convey that the last person who was touched by the current narrator will be the new narrator in the next chapter. For example, as Sakura was the last person that sasuke touched, she will be the narrator of the story.

Also, a note. This story was ORIGINALLY going to be sasusaku, but now, re-reading it, i can't promise it'll stay that way.i mean, the thing with sasusaku is that after a while, it all becomes the same. i'll try to spice it up a bit, i promise!

Now, if you please, review! i promise it won't take long, and whether you liked it or hated it, a review is a wonderful inspiration.


	2. Contemplation Quandary

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sakura would be a pimp. And Hidan would be her bitch.

**Summary**: The End has come…and gone. With the aftermath of one of the greatest battles in Konoha's history fresh in his mind, the traitor unknowingly sparks a perilous game of tag that cycles throughout the village. Follow each successive character as they share their perspective on the return of Uchiha Sasuke.

--------

**Chapter Two: Contemplation Quandary**

_Open._

_Shut._

Apple green irises expanded and contracted every time she closed, then opened her eyes. Try as she might, falling asleep at….(here she rolled over and checked the clock) 2:34 A.M. was impossible. The thoughts, memories, and worries that ran at a breakneck pace throughout her head were more distracting than a sky filled with fireworks.

_Open._

_Shut._

Again she rolled over, now lying on her back with twisted, sweaty sheets underneath her. She let out a small sigh, then decided to give up the notion of 'sleeping' and entertain her rampant thoughts. The ceiling above her, painted a dull white, gave a perfect backdrop to the theatre of pictures that flashes before her eyes.

_Sasuke, leaving the village right before her._

_Naruto-kun, promising he'd bring him back._

_Naruto-kun, beaten and bloody, being healed under Tsunade-shisou's worn-out hands._

_Herself in the mirror on the day that Naruto-kun left, dark circles underneath her eyes, promising herself that she would become greater than any of them, strong enough to protect the two she loved the most._

_Tsunade-shisou's eyes, flashing once before her fisted hand met Sakura's ribs, effectively cracking them, then shouting at her, "Again! Like you mean it!"_

_The genin's face as she won her match against him, his bloody mouth agape in shock._

_Her mother crying, crying, her face completely shattered, her eyes dead._

_Her father in the morgue, his eyelids closed, his skin paper-thin, and pale with the shroud of death._

_Naruto's older face, he had returned._

_Sasuke's face, bloody, scarred, and bruised, as Kakashi-sensei carried him in._

Sasuke…( her mouth twisted a bit as she thought out his name), he was the cause of all her worries. How had he defeated Itachi? How had he gotten into the village? What had he been doing for these past years? What was he planning, where was he going now that his 'revenge' was complete?

And then there was the matter of her feelings towards him. Did she love him? Sakura pondered this for a minute, before shaking her head. No, not after what he had done to her and Naruto-kun. Did she hate him, then? This she contemplated even longer, before shaking her head yet again. No, because even as much as she was angry at him, his actions (while idiotic and wrong) still had helped him to avenge those who had been ripped away from him so suddenly, so cruelly. And the last question…Could she love him? Here she paused, all of her thoughts ramming to a halt, a wrecked train of musings. Could…she…_dammit._

Dammit dammit dammit. Curse her unconditional forgiveness capacity!

Such were the questions that plagued Sakura as she turned and twisted in the dark, shadowed room. Damn, she really needed a drink. Or a couple of knockout pills, just to get her to sleep.

--------

Her eyes met the glassy face of the clock situated next to her bed. 2:59. She needed to run, to go, to do something, to be active…she couldn't just sit still. After all, her teammates were waiting, and she'd be damned if she let them leave her behind again.

Rolling silently out of bed, she pulled on a pair of bike shorts, fishnet undershirt, red over-shirt and her medic's skirt. Turning to her door, she tiptoed quietly to the foyer, where she grabbed her boots and gloves. Hastily yanking them on, she crept back to her window and prepared to jump, three…two…one…!

"Where do you think you're going?"

Sakura swiveled hastily from her perch, one hand going reflexively to a kunai on her leg. Her mother, clad in a blue-black silken robe and a pair of pinstriped fleece pants, blinked sleepily at her.

"Ah…uh…Mom…I-"

"Sakura, answer. Now."

Sakura fidgeted nervously with her left-hand glove. She didn't want to upset her mother, because these days, anything could set her off. Just two days ago she had burst into a sobbing fit upon discovering that they were out of eggs. Sakura flinched inwardly at the memory.

"Ano, momma, I was just…uh…going for a walk! Yes, that's it. A walk."

Her mother narrowed her blue eyes.

"Going on a walk? At this time of night? And, pray tell, where are you walking to?

Sakura gulped. _Must…resist…urge…to…flee…._

"Ah, I was going to...Naruto-kun's! He needs me!"

At this her mother started, her eyes widening in confusion, then comprehension, then horror.

"He needs you? He needs you? Oh my…."

It dawned on Sakura what she had just implied.

"Oh, Kami, no, no Mom! Not like that!"

Too late. Her mother tore out of the room, sniffling things like '_growing up so fast'_ and '_just a teenager_!'

Sakura shook her head, then leapt out of the window onto the underlying shingles.

----------

The night air was cool and brisk, the dark sky spread out in a massive expanse above the village. Clusters of stars dotted the sky like spatters of paint on a canvas, and the moon was but a sliver. It was under this cover of darkness that she ran, her feet only kissing the rooftops before pushing upward again, carrying her through the sleeping village.

Well, she hadn't been lying to her mother in regard to her destination. Naruto-kun's apartment lay a few blocks ahead of her, lights off, dead silent. A passing surveillance ANBU waved at her as she passed, recognizing her rosy hair. She alighted on the roof, tapping the shingles lightly with one foot before vaulting under the gutter and onto the windowsill. She peered into the glass, trying hard not to fog it with her breath. Under her perch, Naruto lay sprawled on his futon, sheets twisted into an spiraling mess around his legs, his arms wrapped around his pillow. His blonde hair spread out like a halo about his head, and his face was pulled into a serene grin, mouth slightly open.

Silently, she pushed open the window and slid in, moving her feet to the ceiling and sticking them there. She looked down on the silent boy, and after a moment of concentration spoke out.

"You're not fooling anyone, Naruto-kun. You snore when you're really asleep."

He cracked one ocean-blue eye open and smiled at her.

"You always figure me out, Sakura-chan." He slowly sat up, ignoring the mass of tangled sheets around his legs. Soon his nose was uncomfortably close to Sakura's, and he was grinning smugly. She hid a blush, and released the chakra surrounding her feet, dropping silently onto his bed.

"So, Sakura-chan, what are you doing here at this time and hour? Don't tell me you just wanted my company, although…" He rolled his shoulders and made a suggestive eyebrow-raise. She scowled at him, but dropped the frown. She just couldn't stay mad at him. Not after all he'd done for her.

"Naruto-kun…there's news." She replied uncertainly, keeping her eyes glued to some point on Naruto's cheek. She was unable to meet his eyes. He frowned, confused.

"Hmm? What news, Sakura-chan? Has Tsunade-baa-chan got a new mission for us? Or…oh, no…" He glanced up at her in dawning horror.

"Ichiraku's is closing down?!"

Glare. Glare. Glare.

"…No."

He blinked, a look of understanding filling his azure eyes.

"Sakura." She looked up, and sad green met impatient blue.

"Is Sasuke-teme back?" Unable to speak due to the clot of rage that had mysteriously jumped into her throat, she nodded, twice, and slowly.

He remained silent for a long time. Then he stood.

"Wait for me outside, Sakura-chan. We've got to go see him." He paused then, and added, "And when we do, I'm going to kill that bastard."

----------

The Hospital itself is huge, one of the bigger buildings in Konohagaurke. Lights intermittedly speckled the front of the structure, each one representing a patient who was awake. The Hallways were dimly lit, their footsteps echoing hollowly along the walls. 112, 113, 114, 115…Ah! She tugged on Naruto's sleeve, then pointed at the room next to her. 116-E, Uchiha Sasuke.

He nodded once. It was all she needed, anyway. He turned, snatched her hand and squeezed it once, then grabbed the steel handle and pushed the door open.

**_Tag!_**

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Ah, dear, another short chapter! I must figure out a way to type more...sigh.

Kudos and Broccoli go to Gothis-lolita-4eva and SakuBunny For being the first two to review on my first story! (i'll reply shortly, guys.)

Please review, whether you loved it or hated it. Constructive critism is welcomed with open arms.

Next up is Naruto!

Luv and hugs from Cazz.


	3. Discordant Discourse

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Naruto would be an escaped inmate who wears a bright orange jumpsuit with the words "county jail" printed on the back. Hey, wait a minute…!

**Summary**: The End has come…and gone. With the aftermath of one of the greatest battles in Konoha's history fresh in his mind, the traitor unknowingly sparks a perilous game of tag that cycles throughout the village. Follow each successive character as they share their perspective on the return of Uchiha Sasuke.

**Chapter Three: Discordant Discourse**

_This is it._

Naruto wrapped his hand around the cold steel of the handle, and pulled the door open. At first he saw nothing, his eyes struggling to adjust to the unusual darkness in the room. Then his eyes began to pick out shapes and figures among the formless shadows. In front of him was a bed. To his left, a medium sized desk with a stool. To his right, a sink, and overlying cabinets. He noted idly that the curtains were drawn, preventing the moonlight from entering. Above him, a fan slowly rotated, its progress too slow to make any sort of breeze.

Sakura entered behind him, her boots making no sound against the linoleum floor. She shut the door behind her, then faced forward. Naruto, however, ignored her and focused on the motionless figure in the bed. The figure's head, neck, and shoulders were peeking out from under the clean white hospital sheets. Black hair glistened faintly when the figure's steady breathing hitched slightly, then settled again.

Naruto wasn't fooled.

"You can let go of that kunai now, Sasuke-teme."

The figure rustled under the sheets, then sat up. His chest was bandaged in several places, a light-skinned scar stretched from his right pectoral to his lower chest. A kunai was clutched in his right hand, cold iron in pale flesh. He regarded Naruto and Sakura with his usual apathetic stare.

"What do you want, dobe?" The words came out sounding like a statement, rather than a question. Naruto narrowed his cobalt eyes, then walked forward. His words came out as a hiss, his throat constricting with fury at his former teammate's expressionless voice.

"What I want, bastard, is for you to tell me what the_ hell_ you've been doing for the last _three damn years_!" Naruto's nostrils flared, his fists clenched at his sides and his jaw tightened. He resisted the overwhelming urge to either punch the bastard senseless or shake his hand in triumph. "And don't _even_ tell me it's Orochimaru." Sasuke snorted.

"Hn. Like I'd tell you, dobe." Naruto registered that Sakura-chan had clenched her hands into fists. Heh, it was probably to stop herself from clawing his pretty little face off. He loosened his fists a bit.

"You might as well tell us, teme. Tsunade is going to beat it out of you anyway. Or she'll hand you over to Ibiki, and after going through an afternoon with him, I'm not sure which is worse." Feeling smug, he rocked back on his heels. Sasuke opened his pale mouth to send a snappy retort, but Sakura beat him to it.

"Naruto, please. We both know he's not going to stick around long enough for that to happen. Isn't that right, _Uchiha_?" She fixed him with an ice-cold glare. Naruto flicked his eyes first at her, then at Sasuke, then back to her. His mind racing, he stated calmly, "Sakura-chan, what do you mean? Of course he'd staying. His quest is over, right? Itachi is dead. Now he can stay here with us!" Stopping short, he tightened his fists as he caught the note of strangled hysteria in his voice. He wanted Sasuke back, wanted Sakura to be happy again, wanted things to go back to the way things had been in the days of Team Kakashi, wanted normalcy.

Alas, normalcy was not a commonplace thing in his life. Beside him, Sakura tilted her head forward. Her pink hair shaded her narrowed eyes, which were aimed at none other than the traitor ahead of them. Her lips parted, and she spoke.

"What I mean, _Naruto-kun_, is that the Uchiha is too much of a coward to stay and take his punishment like a man. As soon as he's done _ever-so-graciously_ using us to heal himself, he'll tear out of this place like a bat outta hell, straight back to that red-haired bitch, fish boy, and ginger-head. And then what? He'll thank us by beating the crap out of a couple of our ANBU, and then I'll have to work my ass off to heal them. Just like every goddamn time before that." A bitter laugh escaped her throat. "And then what? He'll wander around the country, not knowing to do with himself. Why? Because he spent his life working blindly towards a goal that's left him lost. And guess what, Uchiha? Regardless of who died, in the end…" Here she let a bitter, empty smirk crawl onto her face. "_Itachi has won. You're alone_."

Sasuke's face hadn't changed during her entire tirade, but during her last line Naruto noticed the muscles of his jaw clench imperceptibly, and his eyes widen ever-so-slightly with shock.. He stepped forward around her, then opened his mouth to say something, anything, that would make all this hatred and tension go away, when-

"I think that's enough for today, you three."

All three whirled around to face the person who had interrupted them. Out of the shadows stepped a silver-haired figure, his hands curiously absent of his favorite little orange book. His single visible eye was half-lidded as always, and he carried his usual bored expression. Naruto straightened, then put the kunai that had automatically jumped in his hand back into his sleeve. Beside him, Sakura did the same.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Hn."

Naruto noted the tell-tale eye-roll of Kakashi's that suggested he was already bored with the conversation. He turned to Sakura.

"You," he pointed at her with a gloved finger, "Hokage-sama needs you. Something about a missing bottle of sake, or something like that." Sakura blanched, then turned on her heel to face the window, muttering, "_Oh, shit! What the heck is she doing up at this time of morning?_!" She gave Sasuke one last glare, then vaulted effortlessly over him and through his window. Naruto noticed Sasuke's eyes tracking her movements. Kakashi cleared his throat.

---------

"You," He said, pointing at Naruto's forehead, "Go home and get some sleep, or go train. We have a mission tomorrow, remember?" At this, Naruto smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand.

"Ah! That's right! The escort mission!" Kakashi rolled his eyes again. Naruto, however, stopped his loud musings and stared at the jounin. "Don't try anything, Kakashi. I want to go on this mission, but I don't want to do it alone." Kakashi nodded, then 'poofed' out of the room, leaving only white smoke behind him. Naruto watched him go, then turned to Sasuke.

"Anything you want to add, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto queried, clearly not really expecting or needing an answer. To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke provided one.

"Yeah. Tell me, what the _hell_ is up Sakura's ass?" He said, speaking as if he had just said, "Pass the butter, please." Naruto's blonde eyebrow rose until it was hiding behind his hitai-ate. Understanding flashed across his face, and he lowered his voice.

"Sakura-chan's changed, teme. We all have. See, time has a funny way of doing that to a person." Sasuke only snorted, clearly unimpressed with his answer, and then lay back on his pillow. Naruto shifted from foot to foot, reluctant to leave the room. At last, his mouth tilted upwards at the corners, and he continued.

"That, and I suspect she's taken up drinking, and she hasn't had any alcohol in more than 2 days. She's been too busy at the hospital. Ironically…," His other eyebrow joined the first, and a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. "You arrived here 48 hours ago. What a coincidence, eh?"

Sasuke only grunted, but Naruto's eyes caught the slight movement of his jaw as he suppressed a smirk.. He grinned widely, then leapt to the windowsill above Sasuke's head. Without looking back once, he said quietly, "Night.", then jumped out into the night.

----------

He had gone a few meters before he stopped, and stood stock-still, his ear cocked into the breeze. He smiled, and then said, "Enjoy the show, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi snorted, then looked down from his perch on the hospital roof. Naruto stared up at him, a slight grin decorating his features. He jumped up to join his old teacher.

"Seriously though, those two are as dense as a sack of cement, eh?" Naruto stated softly, his voice void of malice. Kakashi nodded. "As a pair of cinder-blocks, really. They should just admit defeat and jump each other, seriously. The sexual tension is killing me."

Kakashi shrugged, then decided to contribute. "Well, aside from the…'sexual tension'…Sakura really is mad at him, you know. I'd be too if you left me on a cold stone bench in the middle of the night, alone and unconscious, helpless for anyone to take advantage of…oooh…. That would make a great plot line…" And Kakashi was lost in his fantasies.

If Naruto had been drinking at the time, it would have sprayed out of his mouth with a 'pffft!' He punched Kakashi's shoulder, and Kakashi winced. "**Kakashi-sensei**! You…you damn **perver**t! _You're as bad as Ero-sennin_!" He whirled around in disgust, before a thoughtful look came over his eyes.

"Although…that would be a great plotline…"

_**Tag!**_

ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER?!!!

I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry.

A package of frozen meatloaf and a kiwi goes to **SakuBunny** and **Little Piper Girl **for their wonderful reviews! Thanks, guys!

Ahh, tell me, my delicious readers, is the plot moving too slow for you guys? Are there any suggestions you would like to make? If so, please do. Cazz loves suggestions and criticism the way she loves macaroni and cheese.

Also, **firefly** and **Lifethane** are two amazing, funny authors. Go check their stuff out.

Please review, whether you loved it or hated it!


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